TikiKiti likes to connect with animators from all over the world. This is the goal. However I have come to understand our self-imposed limitations of only speaking English. Then, along comes Fred Genna and his AI animations. I really wanted to interview him. But there is one main problem: I don’t speak French and he doesn’t speak English. So, with the help of Google Translate we have been able to work together to make this article happen.
Then I came to the realization I had been doing everything wrong.
All I needed to do was spend some more time with his animations — his the story has been right in front of me.
This led me to another, more profound realization, that AI animations have helped with communications across borders and language barriers. Fred Genna doesn’t speak English, but he needs to understand enough in order to produce his animations. As he says, “My keywords are written in English because the software I use understands this language better.”
So, this has me asking the questions, do AI animations make it easier to understand a story someone is trying to tell, even if they do not speak English? The native language of the seems to be irrelevant when the story is universal. This is what the animations of Fred Genna have helped me discover. These stories that we see every day here are about the human condition, and that makes them universal. These music videos do not need subtitles to explain themselves. (Note: We hate subtitles on music videos!)
His most recent animation is a remix of the song by a-ha “Take On Me.” The classic song from the 1980s becomes an AI animation with some very classic images of stained glass and cathedrals — we see the Sagrada Familia which is the basilica of Barcelona in Spain.
Fred Genna’s catalog of music videos is an adventure through time and cultures. Many of his music videos feature music from the 80s (it seems a personal favorite of his.) Here is his vision for “Smalltown Boy” from Bronski Beat.
His trips through the 80s include some of the most iconic songs from that period. Here is “Girls Just Want To Have Fun” from Cyndi Lauper.
And where would the 80s be without Madonna. Here is his remix of “Holiday.”
When looking through his music video animations it’s easy to guess at his goal, but when taken as a group of films we see his just likes to make dance music. Even his most recent are dance pop. For example, here is his remix of “Voyage, voyage,” from Desireless; a 2006 French Pop song that he updated with his remix.
Fred Genna has a long history of producing music videos. His earlier videos were a place for him to post his early music remixes. Going back to “Automatica” from Nigel Stanford from three years ago, where you can see he is just starting to play with AI by using static images. But also creating mashup video from existing video for his Robin S remix to “Show Me Love” and including images from Daft Punk.
The one video he directed and did the music is “Only My Way” — this video he did Steve Njoy. A very stylishly produced video done in black and white with his music.
“As I continue composing music, remixes, and AI-generated videos, my imagination overflows with new ideas, which I strive to bring to life with my tools.
“Regarding the musical aspect, the experience has allowed me to progress, not only in terms of creativity but also in sound quality. For 2025, I plan to diversify the visual styles in my AI-generated videos and improve their rendering. My goal is to find an aesthetic that is uniquely mine, distinct from what is commonly seen, both in my videos and my music."
For me, I can see Fred Genna is an animator in search of something new. Each of his video shows he is in search of something unique — something more compelling than the last.
What we have discovered with this experience of interviewing him is to understand how the AI music video translates a story — into any language conceivable.
You can find more about Fred Genna here:
